Government official commits suicide following death of 16 fans at South Korea concert

INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA - SEPTEMBER 17: Girl group 4minute attends the 2014 Incheon K-Pop Concert on September 17, 2014 in Incheon, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage)
Credit: Getty

A further 11 people who attended the open air show in Seongnam are seriously injured

A government official responsible for safety measures at a k-pop gig where 16 people died has apparently committed suicide just hours after the tragedy.

The Telegraph reports that the 37-year-old, surnamed Oh, jumped off a building not far from the Pangyo Techno Valley in Seongnam where the fatal accident occurred on Friday (October 17). The band 4minute were on-stage when 20 to 30 people climbed on a ventilation grate to get a better view of the show. The group then fell 20 metres (65ft) into an underground parking area.

“I am sorry for the dead victims… Please take a good care of my children”, the official wrote in a short note to his wife.

Following the tragedy, 4minute released a statement clarifying that they were unaware of the accident while performing on stage.

“We can’t express how regretful they are for what happened,” the statement read. “The performance wasn’t solely a 4Minute show, but a stage shared by many artists for an event. During their performance, none of the members or staff were aware of the accident and finished their complete set. It wasn’t until they arrived back in Seoul that they heard of the news regarding the accident. We hope the audience wasn’t hurt in this accident.”

A further 11 people who attended the open air show at the Pangyo Techno Valley are seriously injured.